After fish, snakes, birds float dead in Vellore tank, locals fear for their livestock

“The lake did not dry up as on earlier occasions and hence this became the source of water for livestock which go to graze in the nearby forest areas,” said Raman of Pernambut to DT Next.

The irrigation tank spread over 56 acres in Rajakkal village panchayat was renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 33.70 lakh during the AIADMK regime and the lake has been having continuous water supply since the supply channels and vents were repaired and the bunds strengthened.

The Fisheries Department too filled the lake with Rs 78,000 worth 25,000 fingerlings and auctioned fishing rights in February last. However, sources revealed that some anti-social elements from the nearby Paneerkuttai village clandestinely fished in the tank resulting in frequent quarrels between those with fishing rights and the trespassers.

Nandakumar of the locality, who got the fishing rights, filed a complaint with the Melpatti police recently. Things took a turn for the worse when Melpatti police alerted by locals visited the tank and found dead birds, fish and snakes floating in the water on Sunday.

A local official on condition of anonymity said, “the dead fish birds and snakes could be due to some unscrupulous elements throwing into the lake poisoned beef on Friday.” When asked how he could be sure, he replied, “cow entrails were found floating in the water and hence it is assumed that it is poisoned beef as there is no other reason to find dead birds floating on water.”